TEB Ch 33

In the midst of this, everyone felt both envious and resentful of Sigrid, who left the seat, claiming to have some work in his hometown. Meanwhile, Renard was once again deeply in his thoughts about Liev. 

Why does he pretend not to like me even though he does? 

Even though he knew it was a lie, it was heartbreaking when Liev denied him. His heart throbbed as if he were being stabbed with a sharp knife. Despite knowing that nothing in this world could harm him anymore, when Liev lashed out on him, it felt as if he were being cut by a blade. Unfortunately, there was no awareness on his part that there was something somewhat wrong with his own approach. 

*** 

The next morning, as the sound of the knights training outside came in with the rising sun, a gentle knock rang. Liev, who slept longer than usual, immediately opened his eyes at the short sound and greeted the attendant. 

“I will help you prepare a simple meal.” 

First, I saw the familiar white object at the feet of the attendant, who brought bowls and towels for washing my face. When looking closely, Liev saw that it was the same flower that had been placed in front of the door yesterday. 

Who could it be again?…

As Liev glanced at the floor for a moment, the attendant, who had confirmed Liev’s gaze, smiled and asked, 

“Oh, should I clear this away for you on my way out?” 

Today, it was maintaining its form without withering or falling in the direction the door opened. Liev shook his head, bent down to pick up the dried flower, and said, 

“No, it’s okay.” 

As he placed the flower with a sweet scent on the bedside table, the attendant continued to explain what he was going to do today. 

“By the way, after you finish your meal, it seems you should move to Lord Renard’s private residence. The steward in charge of Renard’s private residence will assist you with future activities.” 

As expected, it was going to be like that. Liev sighed lightly and washed his face with his hands. The lukewarm water at just the right temperature touched his cheeks, and the lingering drowsiness instantly disappeared. Although he continued to worry about what would happen in the future, there was no choice but to break through head-on. It was said that dragons that control fire have a fickle temperament, so Renard might lose interest in tormenting him. 

‘Why does he have such a face when telling me to suffer to the point of death?

While drying himself with a towel, a sudden thought came to Liev’s mind. He didn’t know how large the mansion was, but avoiding the owner and running away all day was impossible. While in the deep moment when he thought deeply about how to treat him if I constantly ran into Renard at home in the future, the attendant, who had gone to fetch the meal in the morning, brought unexpected, good news. 

“Oh, by the way, Lord Renard has a schedule with the knights today, so he won’t be in the mansion. He probably won’t come to the mansion until his schedule is over.” 

And then, for once, the attendant brought another piece of good news to Liev that he hadn’t expected. 

“Perhaps he mentioned that Lord Renard might not be able to come until the appointment ceremony.” 

Turning everything upside down and being absent. Instead, of getting angry, I felt relieved. When he looks at Renard, he can’t help but worry that he might treat him like a child, just like when he was young. 

“…….” 

Even though he knew in my head that he was a big adult and an adult fool who was grumpy and did whatever he wanted, it was inevitable that he would look back at his old self. Even though I tried to approach him with a cold attitude, seeing the hurt expression made my chest tighten, and my heart was pounding. 

Considering that, it’s better to minimize contact as much as possible.

Coming to a quick conclusion after finishing breakfast, it seemed that someone had informed the mansion’s steward in advance. “I will escort you from here, Sir Liev, the steward said. 

Sir Liev. So far, “you,” “this guy” and, at best, “Researcher Carter” have been the most formal addresses for Liev. It was a somewhat burdensome title for Liev. Liev quickly nodded, waved his hands, and said, “No, Liev is enough.” 

When Liev vehemently refused, the older steward laughed and replied, 

“No, as you will soon be knighted, I cannot treat you casually. You should feel free to address me comfortably.” 

“No…” 

“Then I will escort you to the mansion. The belongings you used at the laboratory will arrive next week.” 

Unaccustomed to such treatment, Liev was neither clanking nor speaking like a robot, and the man naturally took Liev towards the mansion. The mansion was not far, but a small carriage was waiting under the official’s residence, as if saying it would not allow any long walking for its “distinguished guest.”

“Is the mansion far away?” 

When Liev asked with a fake cough, the steward opened the carriage door and said, “No, it’s not far, but since it’s your first time, we thought a carriage would be more comfortable.” 

I would rather walk. Refusing was difficult, as it seemed like rejecting someone else’s effort. Climbing onto the carriage, which was already prepared, felt uncomfortable, as if wearing someone else’s extravagant clothes seen only in movies. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this when living in the laboratory.” 

Even the carriages that accompanied high-ranking officials in the province when they traveled were not this luxurious. It was natural that the facilities attached to the mansion, being the guardian dragon of a whole country, would be extravagant. It was strange to see the treatment change as soon as he became Renard’s knight. 

It’s uncomfortable… 

I want to be alone quickly. Not interacting with others and not being in unfamiliar environments. It felt like my insides were turning upside down. 

“This way. You can use this room as your bedroom.” 

The place the steward led Liev to, after getting off the carriage, was a two-story mansion located a bit away from the training grounds. It was rather modest in scale for a dragon lair, but considering that Renard would be in human form during his stay, a large mansion might not have been necessary. In this era, a building that could accommodate the current size of Renard probably didn’t exist. 

Rather… 

What Renard needed was probably an open space for comfortable takeoff and landing. Sure enough, the landscape outside the window revealed a wide, open space. 

“I heard you enjoy reading. I’ve prepared a study right next door—not too grand but cozy. Would you like to check it out?” 

Seeing only a bed, a wardrobe, and a small table for meals in the room, Liev was about to take it all in when the steward unexpectedly offered some good news. 

“A study?” 

“Yes. I thought you might need a place to store the belongings you used in the laboratory.” 

“Oh….Thank you.” 

Liev didn’t have much luggage, but since he started working at the laboratory, he has been saving and using the funds provided by the laboratory to purchase books. Although surgical procedures were not as advanced as in modern times, veterinary medicine in this era had developed to a certain extent. It wasn’t an era where the concept of pets as we know it or animal rights had universally been established, so most of the books were related to livestock management. However, even that wasn’t bad for soothing the boredom during late nights, and he had collected a fair amount of them. 

“Then this way.” 

“Yes.” 

As Liev followed the steward, a simple corridor without any decorations finally caught his eye. The floor was free of dust, but an old carpet covered it. The walls were bare, revealing only wooden finishes, creating a rustic mansion without any embellishments. Well, Renard probably wasn’t interested in decorating such places. Dragons were generally known to be aesthetic beings, but that was just a common trait of the species.

“Renard still seems to have no interest in decorating or anything.” 

Even during the time Liev spent with Renard, it wasn’t feasible due to the circumstances, but even now, as a Guardian Dragon receiving extreme hospitality, seeing him not wearing a single accessory suggested that it was just his inherent nature. Even the carriage seemed like it was not personally decorated by him but rather received as a ready-made product. With somewhat meaningless thoughts, Liev entered the study guided by the steward, and he had to flip the thoughts he had just had a little while ago.